


A Watchful Kind of Love

by Avanalae



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU
Genre: American Sign Language, Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily (DCU) Bonding, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Caring Batfamily (DCU), Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Good Friend Stephanie Brown, Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, Good Sibling Damian Wayne, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Good Sibling Tim Drake, Hugs, No Romance, Observant Tim Drake, Pre-Reboot, Protective Siblings, Sneaky Tim Drake, Tim Drake Gets a Hug, Tim Drake-centric, Tim is not a Mom, in the traditional sense, playing with hair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28008021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avanalae/pseuds/Avanalae
Summary: Bruce is wondering what's going on with his kids. Through observation, he realizes that he'd been rather oblivious. With each time one of the others goes to Tim for something, the young man can solve issues and tell them where they left something as easily as breathing. With each day, they all are growing closer, and it makes him happy. He still has to figure out why they chose to call him "Mom," though.
Comments: 18
Kudos: 411
Collections: Best of the Batfamily





	A Watchful Kind of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there so I have been sick for a bit now and it's been hard to do much because I have no energy. However I was not paying attention this evening and took my morning prescriptions instead of my evening ones. One of those just so happens to be a stimulant and now I'm awake at 2 am. I was scrolling through a bunch of good Tim content on Tumblr, was attacked by inspiration and the drugs, and I wrote this in an hour or so. Please take it. Please enjoy. 
> 
> I just want to sleep.
> 
> *cries*

The first time he sees it happen, Bruce is at such a loss that he goes about his day on autopilot and doesn’t blink back out of his thoughts until that evening.

He is in the kitchen reading the newspaper over breakfast. Nothing unusual. Tim walks in, slumped and bleary-eyed, and heads straight for the coffee machine. Also, not unusual.

The young man grunts back when Bruce greets him, practically stumbling into his seat at the small table. He sips at his second mug – the first having already been downed moments ago at the machine. Bruce focuses back on the paper, returning to an article mentioning the recent rumors of a proposal for park monitoring.

Bruce doesn’t register who walks into the kitchen until the fridge slams and Jason groans.

“Hey, Mom, where did I put the last of my beer? I could have sworn-"

“Alfred threw them out. There’s a note on the water bottles in there.”

Bruce stares at Tim, who hasn’t even looked away from his coffee, staring into the black like it holds all knowledge. Jason groans again, louder this time, and opens the fridge back up. He snatches up the note and glares at it. “I should have known it would be a bad idea to keep them here.”

Tim huffs an odd noise, taking another gulp of coffee. Jason turns and scowls at him. “Oi! Not all of us have a personal mini-fridge stashed in every corner.”

Tim hums and _looks_ at Jason, who turns away and grumbles. “Yeah, yeah, sorry. Can I use one?”

Tim hums again and closes his eyes, basking in his coffee.

“Please? Come on, Mom, I promise not to take up too much space.”

Tim hums again, a little longer this time, tilting his head. Jason folds his hands together in a pleading gesture. Finally, the younger man nods.

Jason pumps a fist, “Yeah! Thanks, Mom!”

Tim stands and goes over to the coffee machine again. “Only one pack at a time.” Jason’s cheer turns to a groan, and he follows Tim out of the kitchen, pleading the whole time.

Bruce is left staring at the doorway, his eggs going cold and the newspaper forgotten.

* * *

“Mom, have you seen my belt?”

Tim doesn’t look up from his laptop where he’s perched on the sofa in a position that makes Bruce’s back complain at the very sight. “It’s under your bed.”

“What? Again?” Stephanie groans, “How does it keep ending up there?”

“You wear it upstairs and don’t bring it down later like you tell yourself you will. The mess and your habits usually push it under.” Tim taps harshly at his computer, frowning as his eyes run over text.

Bruce looks over at Stephanie, who laughs nervously, “Ah hah… Oh yeah…” Bruce’s eyes narrow, about to scold her again about taking Bat tools outside of the Batcave, but she clearly sees his expression. “I’m gonna go get that, then. Bye!” She then turns tail and flees.

With a sigh, Bruce turns his gaze back down to the documents on the table. Then he blinks and looks up at Tim again. He opens his mouth to ask, but is forestalled when Tim turns his laptop to him and asks a question about the company’s board of directors and he is distracted.

* * *

Now that he’s noticed it, he sees that it happens with alarming frequency. Perhaps more alarming due to the fact that he hadn’t noticed it before.

“Mom, have you seen the keys to my bike?”

“You’re still on house arrest. Alfred asked me to hold on to them.”

“Damn it.”

Lost objects were the most common, but it was also other things. He nearly fainted when he heard Damian doing it.

“Mother, the fools that deem themselves worthy to rule the educational facility I am forced to attend are accusing me once more.”

“Mm, what is it this time?”

Damian tuts and crosses his arms. “They have told me that arguing with the instructor is ‘against the rules' even though it says no such thing in the handbook and the instructor is either grossly misinformed or us actively playing into the distribution of false information.”

“Ah, again? Alright, I’ll give them a call.” Tim picks up his phone with looking away from his tablet. Bruce can see he’s watching a video, but not of what.

“If possible, please do try to avoid coming in person. I do not wish to deal with… _that_ again.” Damian scowls, his cheeks tinting just a bit darker.

“No promises. It’s good character building.”

Bruce hadn’t realized before that it was _Tim_ going to the parent-teacher conferences and such. He could have sworn it was Dick.

But apparently not.

“Mom,” Dick draws out the word into a whine, “Jason won’t cuddle with me!”

Jason stomps over, “Maybe you should ask first, asshole!”

“But Jason, you never say yes! I need my little brother cuddles!”

“Fuck off, dickbag! You have other little brothers!”

“And they let me cuddle them!”

“Yeah! So maybe you should stick with that!”

“But Jay,” Dick starts to whine again but they both stop when Tim closes his book softly.

The book sits closed on his lap, positioned comfortably, before he looks up. The two older men slump at his look. Tim stares at them a moment longer before speaking. “Dick, we’ve had a conversation about consent before. Do we need to have another one?”

Dick slumps even further into himself at that. “No…”

Tim hums. “Jason has promised to give your requests genuine consideration, but you must first give the request.” Jason crosses his arms, visibly grumpy at that, but preferring to glare at Dick. “If I hear another complaint from Jay, were having that talk, Dick.”

“Okay…” Tim gives him a look and Dick sighs, turning to Jason, “Sorry, Jay. I promise to ask.”

Jason grunts but nods in response. Dick leaves first, Jason not immediately following. He extends his hand to Tim, who grabs his fingers. They both squeeze shortly and let go, Jason turning and walking out, going down the hallway opposite of Dick. When Bruce looks back at Tim, his nose is back in his book, completely unperturbed.

* * *

He finally gets a chance to ask about it when he finds Cass and Tim in the family TV room. Cass is curled up on the sofa, her head on Tim’s lap. Tim is sitting back, using his phone with one hand while the other runs through her hair.

Cass is focused on the TV, which is showing a cartoon with a yellow dog who speaks. She is mouthing along with the words the dog appears to be teaching. Since he has stalled in the doorway for a while, he watches Cass carefully say the word a few times, each success getting a gentle scratch of Tim’s nails at her hairline.

Bruce finally manages to step into the room, making his way over to them. They don’t react much, but Tim tilts his head when he asks to sit with them. When he sits, he easily lets Cass move her feet onto his lap. He rests his hands on her leg and rubs gentle circles below her ankle with his thumb.

“What are you two doing?”

“Practice,” Cass answers, still not looking away from the television.

Tim gives her another scritch. “Babs is gone for a week. I’m the second choice for lessons.”

Cass hums, “Mean.”

“Mm hm,” Tim rubs his thumb against the little hairs on the nape of her neck. “I just don’t let you marathon ‘Phineas and Ferb’ all day.”

“Mean,” Cass reaffirms. Tim looks away from his phone at this and rubs his thumb along her neck, just so, getting a full-body shudder and a pout. “So mean, Mom.”

“Mm,” Tim allows and turns back to his phone, which appears to have some sort of game on it. He gently taps a finger against her temple, “Focus.”

Cass easily looks back at the TV, quickly getting into the show once more. Bruce doesn’t want to interrupt, so he just spends the time with them, the only noise being the TV and Cass's occasional murmurs.

He learns the show is called “Martha Speaks” and is also introduced to the show Tim had mentioned, “Phineas and Ferb.”

Bruce ends up rather impressed and wondering if he might be able to somehow implement some of their gadgets to their lineup in the future.

Afterwards, Tim leaves first, claiming a meeting of some sort. Cass kisses his cheek before she lets him up, which he returns to her temple. She stretches and turns off the television before turning to look at Bruce expectantly.

He can’t help the soft look he gives her. He’s so proud of all her progress during her time here. Cass quirks her lips before nudging him with the remote, earning a chuckle. “Alright, alright. What is going on with Tim? I only noticed he did it with you all recently and you are calling him Mom, of all things.”

Cass tilts her head and points at him. Bruce blinks, “He doesn’t do it to me. And I certainly don’t call him Mom.” She rolls her eyes and signs at him. “Wait, really?” He thinks back and realizes that she’s right. Before patrol, he had been looking around for the evidence bag he intended to bring with him last night. He hadn’t been standing around confused for long, however, before Tim came up and handed it to him without a word.

“Tim cares… deep,” she taps at her sternum. She thinks, raising her hand before deciding on words. “Watched. …Watches. Knows. Helps.” She gestures at her eyes and signs things like distributing information and vigilant care. “Doesn’t watch him, though. So we help back.” She moves her hands again, slowing the movements when she sees Bruce’s doesn’t get it at first.

Name… Giving a name, or a title. To give a place, especially one of importance. To acknowledge their reliance on him. Bruce starts to understand.

“Alfred,” she signs Alfred’s sign name followed by “head of house.” “Bruce,” she says and follows with his sign with something like “head of household."

She finishes by saying “Tim,” and making his sign, but Bruce realizes that Tim’s shorthand has changed just a bit. Her hand forms the T but starts with a gesture down from the chin before the familiar movement for “tired.” He blinks and looks away from her hands to her eyes, and she watches him as she repeats the sign.

He follows her lead, and she nods, satisfied. “To care about or to be cared for?” he asks.

“Both,” she replies. She signs his name again before following it with “head of family.”

“Oh,” Bruce blinks. “I’ve never… thought of splitting it that way.”

“Split,” Cass frowns and shrugs. “Roles. Not the same… but,” she obviously struggles for a word.

“Overlapping? Mixed?” Bruce tries, and she nods. “Not the same job, but all important,” he smiles, soft before it turns a bit morose. “But what does it say of me that I never noticed until now?”

Cass flicks his arm sharply, getting a blink, and moves once she has his attention. She taps her head and signs “familiar" before smoothly forming “oblivious.”

“Yeah, I suppose. I’ve known him longer than most all of you, after all. Its harder to notice when you aren’t away for long. I still feel rather disappointed in how…” he chuckles, “ _oblivious_ I was.”

With a shrug, she smiles, “Sneaky.”

They laugh together at that. “Very true.”

* * *

Bruce doesn’t call Tim, Mom. It is a little too much for someone like him and in his position, but he finds a workaround.

He starts outright asking.

“Tim, do you know where the documents for the Cornell case went?”

The young man doesn’t look up, absorbed in the secrets of coffee once more. “You left them on the table in the med bay.”

Bruce rests his hand on Tim’s shoulder, “Thanks, Tim.” He only gets a glimpse of Tim’s widening eyes and realization before he lets go and leaves the room. The looks he gets until Tim is used to it are worth it, because Tim does get used to it.

Tim doesn’t hide away from touch or cuddle-time (Dick's preference) anymore. He is more relaxed and actually gets some rest. Things become more give and take, more balanced than they were before.

He keeps a subtle eye on them all and in return, they make sure he is cared for as well.


End file.
